Children with autism spectrum disorder often have trouble sleeping at night, which in turn makes it hard for them to control their behavior during the day.

“Past research has found that children with ASD often have trouble sleeping at night. Many children with ASD also struggle with regulating their behavior during the day,” says Micah Mazurek, assistant professor of health psychology at the University of Missouri.

“Research on children without ASD has found that lack of sleep can contribute to these behavioral problems. In this study, we were specifically interested in whether sleep is related to challenging behavior in children with ASD.”

To study the connection between sleep and behavioral problems, researchers surveyed parents of 81 children with ASD. They examined common sleep problems including trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and other specific sleep issues. They then examined whether these problems were related to common behavioral problems in children with ASD, including aggression, irritability, inattention, and hyperactivity.

The findings, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, show that sleep difficulties are highly related to daytime behavioral problems. Children who weren’t sleeping well had greater problems with aggression, irritability, and paying attention during the day. They found that children who awakened frequently throughout the night had the most trouble regulating their behavior.

“The research on sleep and behavior in children with ASD is ongoing, and future research will examine what may be causing these difficulties and which treatments may work best. In the meantime, they encourage parents to talk to their doctors about their children’s sleep.

“If parents are noticing that their children are having behavioral problems, it may be helpful to make sure they are sleeping well at night,” Mazurek says. “For all children with ASD, it is important that parents and professionals routinely screen for sleep problems. Addressing these issues will help children be at their best during the day.”